Article insertion devices

ABSTRACT

A record and an open ended bag are conveyed along different paths at right angles to each other, but in the same plane, insertion of the record into the bag taking place at the intersection of the paths. As the bag is being conveyed it passes between a pair of rotatable eccentric suction rollers which grip the front and back faces of the bag respectively and cause the bag to be opened as the surfaces of the rollers move apart, due to the rotation of the rollers.

United States Patent Parker Oct. 31, 1972 [54] ARTICLE INSERTION DEVICES2,202,431 5/1940 Rohrbacher ..93/28 In e o a i G g a w n I -...53/l87 oawa ingham, Van Del Meulen "."53/l87 X 3,446,121 5/1969 Achelpohl ..93/28[73] Assignee: Masson Scott Thrissell Engineering 3,527,337 9/1970 Formo..53/ 187 X Ltd., Bristol, England 3,545,346 12/ 1970 Achelpohl ..93/28[22] Filed: May 5 1971 3,618,476 11/1971 Achelpohl ..93/28 X [21] Appl.No.: 140,506 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-HoraceM. Culver 11' 'l [30] Foreign Application Priority Data I Attorney CragAntone l & I May 1970 BiWhwv; 111.11 [57] ABSTRACT A record and an openended bag are conveyed along [52] U.S. Cl. ..53/187, 53/386, 93/28different paths at right angles to each other, but in the [51] Int. Cl..B65b 5/04,-B65b 43/30 same plane, insertion of the record into the bagtaking [58] Field of Search ..53/187, 386, 186, 384, 188; place at theintersection of the paths. As the bag is 93/28, 8 R; 198/131, 38 beingconveyed it passes between a pair of rotatable eccentric suction rollerswhich grip the front and back [56] References Cited faces of the bagrespectively and cause the bag to be opened as the surfaces of therollers move apart, due UNITED STATES PATENTS to the rotation of therollers.

a ...V..93/28 8 Claims 6 Drawing Figures /67 a0 w 6 $6, I 176, 1' 1w] a41 4 ,7 @f a 5 w- SHEET 1 OF 3 'P'A'TE'N TED nm 3 1 1972 INVENTOR DAVIDGEORGE PARKER M QAGMQQ; Q will ATTORNEYS P'A'TEN'TEDHN I I912 3701.232

SHEET 2 [IF 3 W w w fli 204 INVENTOR DAVID GEORGE. PARKER ATTORNEYS 1ARTICLE INSERTION DEVICES This invention relates to devices forinserting gramophone records, or like articles into a bag. The presentinvention may with advantage be employed in a record packing machine asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 36,261 filed Nov. 5, 1970.

According to the invention, we provide a device for inserting a recordor like article in a bag, comprising means for opening said bag andmeans for feeding the record or like article into the open bag, in whichsaid opening means comprises a pair of eccentric rollers, means fordriving said rollers in phase, means for feeding a bag between saidrollers with its open end adjacent to one end of said rollers, the bagfeeding means and the roller driving means being so synchronized that asthe bag enters between the rollers the surfaces of the latter are attheir position of closest approach, while as the bag passes on betweenthe rollers their surfaces separate, and suction means associated withsaid rollers so that front and back faces on the bag are held againstthe surfaces of the rollers as said surfaces separate.

In a preferred construction the bag feeding means comprises a drivenroller and a further roller resiliently urged towards said drivenroller, and a perforated conv eyor having suction applied thereto, saiddriven and said further roller being so positioned as to grip said bagtherebetween adjacent to its open end, said perforated conveyor beingadapted and positioned so as to suctionally support the closed end ofsaid bag opposite said open end, said driven roller, further roller, andperforated conveyor being adapted to feed the said bag along a firstpath to said station. The bag feeding means and the roller driving meansare so synchronized that the surfaces of said eccentric rollers are attheir greatest distance apart when the bag is at said station.

The means for feeding the record or like article preferably comprises achain conveyor provided with pusher means which engage said record orlike article to feed it along a second path in the same plane as saidfirst path, but at an angle thereto so as to insert said record or likearticle in said bag whilst said bag is at said station.

The pusher means may conveniently be arranged to continue to feed saidrecord or like article along said second path after said record has beencompletely inserted in said bag so as to move the bag away from the saideccentric rollers and bring the closed end of said bag into contact witha resilient pad, means being provided to disengage said pusher meansfrom said record or like article and to cut off suction from saidperforated conveyor simultaneously so as to release said record and saidbag after said bag contacts said resilient pad.

Apparatus embodying the invention may also include a variety of otherfeatures, as will be seen from the following description of onepreferred form of such apparatus.

Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus for inserting a record into abag;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view ofFIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are diagrammatic views showing successive positionsof certain parts during insertion of a record into a bag.

In the drawings a paper bag is fed, in the direction of arrow A FIG. 3),by a finger 161, mounted on a chain conveyor 162 carried by a sprocketwheel 162a fixed to and continuously driven by shaft 162b, towards arecord insertion device !63. At the same time a record 164 is fed, inthe direction of arrow B (FIG. 3), towards the device 163, by a pusher165 mounted on a further chain conveyor 166 carried by a sprocket wheel166a fixed to and driven continuously by shaft 166b. The shafts 162a,166b are both driven by suitable gearing (not shown) from an input shaft208 (FIG. 1) which in turn is driven from a continuous drive unitdiagrammatically shown at 209. The conveyors 162, 166 are arranged sothat the bag and the record are moved towards the device 163 in the sameplane, but at right angles to one another, as shown in FIG. 3. The bag160 is oriented so that its open edge is parallel to its direction ofmovement and is facing in a direction towards the record, so that thelatter may be inserted into the bag as will be explained later.

The device 163 consists of a box like structure, open at the top andbottom, and having a front wall 167, a

rear wall 168 and two side walls 169, 170. The side wall 169 is shapedto receive and support the right hand end (as viewed in FIG. 1) of ahousing 171 along the top surface of which the bag 160 is fed by thefinger 161, and the front wall 167 is shaped to receive and support theright hand end (as viewed in FIG. 2) of a pair of side frames 172 onwhich are mounted guides 173 which support and guide the record 164 asthe latter is pushed by pusher 165.

The guides 173 are arranged parallel to each other and are spaced aparta distance such that the record 164 is supported at diametricallyopposite points in vee shaped grooves 174 (see FIG. 1) provided alongthe mutually facing surfaces of the guides 173. The pusher 165 is formedwith two upwardly extending projections 165a which are also formed withvee shaped grooves, as shown in FIG. 2. The record is thus supported atfour points round its periphery, which ensures that it does not tiltwhile being moved. The guides 173 extend in the direction of arrow B toa position level with the front wall 167.

The finger 161 feeds the bag 160 until the leading edge thereof isgripped between a driven roller 175 and a further roller 175aresiliently urged against the roller 175. The roller 175 is mounted on ashaft 176, supported in bearings mounted on the front and rear walls167, 168 respectively. The rollers 175, 175a are positioned close to thefront wall 167 (see FIG. 3) so that they grip the bag adjacent the openedge thereof. At the same time as the rollers 175, 175a grip the openedge of the bag, the edge opposite that edge is suctionally gripped fromabove by suction applied to a suction box 178 along the underneath ofwhich runs a continuous perforated belt 179 carried between a pair ofpulleys 180, 181. The pulley 180 is fixed to the shaft 176 and thepulley 181 is mounted on a further shaft 182 carn'ed between the rearwall 168 and a partition 183 (FIG. 3).

Mounted respectively on stub shafts 184-, 185 are two suction wheels186, 187 arranged vertically above one another, the wheel 186 beingpositioned above the plane along which the bag 160 is fed, and the wheel187 being positioned below said plane (see FIG. 1). Suction, from asource (not shown), is applied to the wheels 186, 187 through twochambers 188.

The wheels 186, 187 are eccentrically mounted on their respective shafts184, 185 in symmetrical opposition so that during each revolution of thewheels their peripheries move, for the first half revolution, away fromeach other, and, for the second half revolution, towards each other. Theroller 175, the perforated belt 179, and the wheels 186, 187 are alldriven intermittently through suitable gearing (not shown) from an inputshaft 210 FIG. 1) which in turn is driven intermittently by a driveunit, diagrammatically shown at 211.

On continued movement in the direction of arrow A, (FIG. 1), of the bag,the leading edge thereof passes between the peripheries of the suctionwheels 186, 187 which at this moment are almost touching, (as viewed inFIG. 1), so that suction will be applied to the two faces of the bag tohold the upper andlower faces thereof to the wheels 186, 187respectively. As the bag is moved further the two faces of the bag arepulled apart, due, as explained above, to the peripheries of the suctionwheels 186, 187 moving away from each other, until, after half arevolution of the wheels 186, 187 the mouth of the bag is held open byan amount sufficient to permit entry of the record 164.

' The record 164 is fed by pusher 165 to a position such that a furtherpusher 189, having a V-shaped groove formed in its leading face (seeFIG. 2) and travelling at a higher speed than the pusher 165, engagesthe record and accelerates it away from the pusher 165. The pusher 189is carried by two chain conveyors 190 and the leading face of the pusher189 is arranged to' engage the record between the projections 165a ofthe pusher 165 (FIG. 1). The chain conveyors 190 are carried by twopairs of sprockets 191, 192, the sprockets 191 being freely rotatable ona shaft 193 carried between brackets 194, and the sprockets 192 beingfixed to a driven shaft 195 carried between two fixed walls 194a whichextend between the walls 167, 168.-The shaft 195 is driven throughsuitable gearing (not shown) from the continuously driven input shaft208. The pusher 189 is pivotally mounted on the chains 190 and is urgedin a clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 2) by a torsion spring mountedon its pivot, the pusher being kept in the correct orientation forengaging the record 164 by two rails 196, which extend to a positionjust beyond the suction wheels 186, 187 (considered in the direction ofmovement of the pusher 139).

FIG. 4A shows the record 164 being pushed by the pusher 189 and also thebag 160 which has just passed into contact with the suction wheels 186,187, the closed edge of the bag being supported by the perforated belt179.

In FIG. 4B the bag has been opened, as explained above, and the recordis being pushed into the bag 160 by the pusher 189. When the record iscompletely inside the bag, i.e., the edge of the record is in contactwith the sealed edge of the bag opposite the open edge, it also pushesthe bag, which slides across the perforated belt 179 while still beingsupported by it. The pusher 189 continues pushing the record, and thusthe bag, until the now leading edge of the bag (considered in itsdirection of movement which is now that shown by arrow C) touches arubber pad 197 mounted on the rear wall 168, this position beingillustrated in FIG. 4C. As the bag touches the pad 197 the pusher 189runs off the rail 196 and pivots in a clockwise direction away from therecord as shown in chain-dot line in FIG. 4C. Also at this moment thesuction to the perforated belt is cut off and the bagged record isallowed to drop downwards as shown by arrowsD in FIG. 4C. The

bagged record drops on to the upper face of a pair of I support bars198, 199 which are respectively fixed to pivot pins 200, 201 carried inbrackets 202 fixed to the inside faces of the side walls 169, 170. Thebars 198, 199 are arranged, to be moved to the position shown inchain-dot lines in FIG. 1, this movement being controlled by a pneumaticcylinder 204 the piston of which is fixed to one end of a lever 205, theother end of which is fixed to the pivot pin 201, of bar 199. A furtherlever 206 is fixed at one end to the pivot pin 200 of bar 198 and thetwo levers 205, 206 are connected by a link 207 so that the bars 198,199 are moved in unison by the cylinder 204. When moved as justdescribed the bagged record is allowed to drop further, in the directionof arrowsD in FIG. 4C, on to the top of a stack of bagged records, thestack forming ahopper from which bagged records are fed to furtherdevices (not shown) which form no part of the present inventron.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for inserting a record or like article in a bag, comprisingan insertion station, means for opening said bag and means for feedingthe record or like article into the open bag at said insertion station,in which said opening means comprises a pair of eccentric rollers, meansfor driving said rollers in phase, means for feeding a bag between saidrollers with its open end adjacent to one end of said rollers, the bagfeeding means and the roller driving means being so synchronized that asthe bag enters between the rollers the surfaces of the latter are attheir position of closest approach, while as the bag passes on, towardssaid station between the rollers their surfaces separate, and suctionmeans associated with said rollers so that front and back faces of thebag are held against the surfaces of the rollers as the surfacesseparate.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the bag feeding means and theroller driving means are so synchronized that the surfaces of saideccentric rollers are at their greatest distance apart when the bag isat said station.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said bag feeding meanscomprises a driven roller and a further roller resiliently urged towardssaid driven roller, and a perforated conveyor having suction appliedthereto,

said driven and said further roller being so positioned as to grip saidbag therebetween adjacent to its open end, said perforated conveyorbeing adapted and positioned so as to suctionally support the closed endof said bag opposite said open end, said driven roller, further roller,and perforated conveyor being adapted to feed the said bag along a firstpath to said station.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which said record or like articlefeeding means comprises a chain conveyor provided with pusher meanswhich engage said record or like article to feed it along a second pathin the same plane as said first 'path, but at an angle thereto so as toinsert said record or like article in said bag while said bag is at saidstation.

5, A device as claimed in claim 4 in which sai second path is at rightangles to said first path.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said second path is definedby guide means comprising a pair of parallel bars, the mutually facingsides of which are each formed with a V-shaped groove extending alongits length, said bars being so positioned as to permit each record orlike article to be supported in said grooves at diametrically oppositepoints on its periphery.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which said pusher means comprisestwo lugs, each having a face formed with a V-shaped groove forengagement with each record or like article, said grooves coacting withthe grooves in said parallel bars to prevent said record or like articlefrom tipping while it is being fed along said second path and into saidbag.

8. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said pusher means is arrangedto continue to feed said record or like article along said second pathafter said record has been completely inserted in said bag so as to movethe bag away from the said eccentric rollers and bring the closed end ofsaid bag into contact with a resilient pad, and means being provided todisengage said pusher means from said record or like article after saidbag contacts said resilient pad.

1. A device for inserting a record or like article in a bag, comprisingan insertion station, means for opening said bag and means for feedingthe record or like article into the open bag at said insertion station,in which said opening means comprises a pair of eccentric rollers, meansfor driving said rollers in phase, means for feeding a bag between saidrollers with its open end adjacent to one end of said rollers, the bagfeeding means and the roller driving means being so synchronized that asthe bag enters between the rollers the surfaces of the latter are attheir position of closest approach, while as the bag passes on, towardssaid station between the rollers their surfaces separate, and suctionmeans associated with said rollers so that front and back faces of thebag are held against the surfaces of the rollers as the surfacesseparate.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the bag feedingmeans and the roller driving means are so synchronized that the surfacesof said eccentric rollers are at their greatest distance apart when thebag is at said station.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which saidbag feeding means comprises a driven roller and a further rollerresiliently urged towards said driven roller, and a perforated conveyorhaving suction applied thereto, said driven and said further rollerbeing so positioned as to grip said bag therebetween adjacent to itsopen end, said perforated conveyor being adapted and positioned so as tosuctionally support the closed end of said bag opposite said open end,said driven roller, further roller, and perforated conveyor beingadapted to feed the said bag along a first path to said station.
 4. Adevice as claimed in claim 3 in which said record or like articlefeeding means comprises a chain conveyor provided with pusher meanswhich engage said record or like article to feed it along a second pathin the same plane as said first path, but at an angle thereto so as toinsert said record or like article in said bag while said bag is at saidstation.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said second path isat right angles to said first path.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 4 inwhich said second path is defined by guide means comprising a pair ofparallel bars, the mutually facing sides of which are each formed with aV-shaped groove extending along its length, said bars being sopositioned as to permit each record or like article to be supported insaid grooves at diametrically opposite points on its periphery.
 7. Adevice as claimed in claim 6 in which said pusher means comprises twolugs, each having a face formed with a V-shaped groove for engagementwith each record or like article, said grooves coacting with the groovesin said parallel bars to prevent said record or like article fromtipping while it is being fed along said second path and into said bag.8. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said pusher means is arrangedto continue to feed said record or like article along said second pathafter said record has been completely inserted in said bag so as to movethe bag away from the said eccentric rollers and bring the closed end ofsaid bag into contact with A resilient pad, and means being provided todisengage said pusher means from said record or like article after saidbag contacts said resilient pad.